It was a happy trio at the podium at the Food City Center following Kentucky’s 80-78 comeback win vs. No. 24 Tennessee, their fourth in a row in Knoxville. For the third straight game, the Cats overcame a double-digit deficit to win, 17 points down in the last two. Today, they did it against a ranked Tennessee team, outscoring the Vols by 13 in the second half after being down 11 at halftime.

“We actually felt great going in halftime down 11,” Mark Pope quipped at his postgame press conference. “It’s the first time we’ve only been down 11 in a month, right? So, we felt like we won the first half, which is weird, but it’s the Kentucky way right now.”

Obviously, it would be easier on all of us if the Cats wouldn’t dig themselves into a hole in the first half, but their ability to climb back out has become their defining trait. Pope said the team talked about that in a meeting last night, Collin Chandler sharing a parable about a currant bush he heard in church that describes how you can come back stronger after being cut down.

“I hope people aren’t missing what this group is going through, what this group is trying to endure, what this group is trying to become, and what this group is actually doing on the court,” Pope said. “For three straight SEC games now, coming into halftime down heavy and things looking bad, and everybody being discouraged, except for the players in our locker room, that’s really special, man. So don’t miss it, because it’s a tribute to these guys.”

Yes, it is. You can hear more talk about Kentucky’s slow starts, Denzel Aberdeen’s second-half heroics, and a gritty game by Mo Dioubate below.

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